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How to get help if you feel unsafe
If there is an emergency, or you or someone else is in danger, then call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
If you have a safety concern about someone who works or volunteers with an organisation tell an adult that you trust. The person you tell might be a parent, carer, family member or another adult in your household, a teacher or coach, a counsellor, or any other adult you feel comfortable with.
If they don’t help you, keep telling other adults you trust. The organisation you are concerned about must take your concern seriously and do something about it. They need to listen to you and support you to be safe and to feel safe.
For mental health or wellbeing support, you can also contact Headspace or the Kids Helpline.
We have also create a list of links to other organisations with resources and supports for children and young people.
How we can help you if you are in contact with child protection or out-of-home care
On 1 July 2024, new laws came in that give us more powers to help children and young people in contact with child protection or out-of-home care.
These new powers mean we can speak to some organisations that work with you, to make sure concerns about your care are heard and acted on.
The types of things we can ask for include:
- assistance resolving your issue or complaint
- relevant information or documents.
We can request information from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, out-of-home care services and other organisations that work with children and young people.
The new powers are in place to make sure you have someone independent (not from Child Protection) who can:
- give you advice and information
- help with problems you might have with your care
- speak up for your safety, wellbeing, and rights when you are in contact with child protection or out-of-home care.
The government has not given us funding to do this new job, which means we do not have the people or resources we need to help everyone who needs it.
We continue to seek more funding, so we can help more children and young people in need. We appreciate your patience as we try to support as many children and young people as we can.
Call us on: 1300 782 978 (free call)
Email us at: contact@ccyp.vic.gov.au
Making a complaint about out-of-home care
Children and young people in care services have the right to feel safe and secure and to tell someone how they feel, including if they are unhappy or have a concern about their care.
If you’re a child or young person in out-of-home care and you are unhappy with your care, you can make a complaint to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Making a complaint about the Commission
Contact us you wish to make a complaint about the Commission – not a complaint about another agency or organisation.
We will provide further advice about your formal options in directing your complaint for appropriate consideration.